


Even the Proudest Stumble

by reginamea



Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-23
Updated: 2014-06-23
Packaged: 2018-02-05 23:02:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1835422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reginamea/pseuds/reginamea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Osgiliath, they had called it. Fortress of the Stars. It had stood, high and proud, for ages, this capital of the kingdom of Gondor. Now, all that remained was the skeleton of a city, pale bones gleaming in the sunlight.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Even the Proudest Stumble

Once, the city had been glorious.

Man had erected a masterpiece in white for their capital, and the city had taken pride in its name. Osgiliath, they had called it. Fortress of the Stars.

It had stood, high and proud, for ages, this capital of the kingdom of Gondor.

By day, the white stone of its walls would gleam and glisten in the light of the sun from above, in the reflection on the water below. By night, it would shine in tandem with the stars spread out against the canvas of the sky.

Then unrest had swept over Gondor. Fire and disease had stripped the once magnificent capital bare until Osgiliath was but a mere shadow of its former glory. All that remained was the skeleton of a city, pale bones gleaming in the sunlight.

 

Now, the same fate would befall the White City.

The Witch-king waited, his winged beast perched upon the ruins of Osgiliath. Below him, the bare plain stretched on toward Minas Tirith, and he let his gaze travel over the new capital of Gondor.

Carved into the mountain, it stood in the distance, firm and poised. Even in the dim light of the late day, the white stone walls seemed to emit a soft glow.

Yet for all its outer bravado, the city reeked of cowardice. Man was weak, and man was predictable. Just like Osgiliath before, the White City would fall into ruins.

The Witch-king adjusted his reins and the beast beneath him reared its head as it flapped its wings, lifting them into the air. No amount of stone and glory could hold against the forces of Mordor.

 

FIN


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